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Edelman VP Blasts Climate Change Skeptics

The U.N. Climate Change conference continues in Copenhagen, Denmark this week, but not without controversy. Today, former Vice President Al Gore finds some scientists questioning his statement that summer polar ice could vanish in five to seven years. Yesterday, 130 developing nations walked out of the talks in protest. And of course there was the story making the rounds last week, dubbed “Climategate” after emails were leaked from the leading climate change research university that showed some research data was not made public and other reports were altered to change results.

PRNewser spoke with Mark Grundy, Vice President at Edelman CSR/Sustainability, who said, “As far as I’m concerned personally, “ClimateGate” makes great news, but to me it is hype. 99.9% of climatologists say we have real changes. In the frustration these scientists have with politicians, you’re going to get issues …in terms of the facts, I am in no doubt of where we are with this.”

Grundy is in Copenhagen representing a variety of Edelman clients, including carbon trading exchange NYSE Bluenext, wind power company Suzlon, General Electric and a consortium of 29 “rain forest governments” lead by Papa New Guinea.

Burdy said the Obama administration’s stance on climate change is “a lot more progressive” than previous administrations, but also mentioned that the “rain forest governments” he represents view current carbon cutting goals by the big industrial nations as, “way to little and too late.”

From a PR point of view, Burdy acknowledged that the public appetite globally for climate change issues “isn’t as strong as it was four to five years ago.” That is a “problem” that PR pros “need to address,” he said.